


Candlelit Visits

by EddieWrites



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Conversations, F/F, Fluff, Late Night Conversations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2019-09-29
Packaged: 2020-10-29 18:13:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20800802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EddieWrites/pseuds/EddieWrites
Summary: Research can be lonely, especially in the middle of the night. It's a good thing Edelgard chooses to keep Lysithea company.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bazzaya](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bazzaya/gifts).

> This is a birthday fic for the wonderful writer Bazzaya! They dragged me into this rare pair and I had to make some good content for her. I hope you enjoy!

Free time was becoming excessively sparse. With a war waging, it was becoming more and more difficult to find the free time for one of the few burning questions that remained in Lysithea’s mind.

‘Was survival possible?’

Long hours spent pouring intensively over tomes, desperate searches for any kind of knowledge upon crests that she had not yet found. All in the middle of the night, far past when most everybody else had turned in to sleep. She had never shaken her poor habit of late nights -- what was the point of a healthy lifestyle if her body would give out on her sooner rather than later, anyway?

It was unfulfilling, fighting a war that she knew she wouldn’t be able to see the results of. Regardless of how much she believed in the cause, in their leader, she suspected that the end would be beyond her lifespan. Or at least, the true end. When Those Who Slither In The Dark had been brought to justice, when she could truly rest at ease every night.

Quiet footsteps marred the silence, bringing Lysithea’s gaze up from her current tome for the first time in hours. It was one she had read already, but her desperation lately had brought her to re-reading several of the more ancient manuscripts in the hopes of finding something she had missed.

“Another late night, I see.”

The voice was soft, cutting through the silence of the otherwise abandoned library. Lysithea exhaled, allowing the tension to leave her shoulders as she leaned back into her chair and stretched. She hadn’t realized quite how much her head was spinning with meaningless words, and a hand came up to stifle a yawn.

“Mhmm.”

The response was lazy and relaxed, given with half-lidded eyes. This was the last way anybody would be expected to address the Adrestian Empress who had single-handedly turned the land of Fódlan on its head. But this was far from the first time the two had met within this room, with only the seemingly limitless knowledge surrounding them, and the candles to light their faces.

“Researching the same as always, then?”

Lysithea’s head bobbed tiredly in response, and she silently slid a bookmark into the book. A gift from the impressive woman who had taken a seat across from her.  
“I’m looking through tomes I had read in my youth for any potential solutions.”

The words were muttered, and any who did not truly know Lysithea would have mistaken this as a sign of resignation instead of the simple display of fatigue that it was.

“I see. Any success?”

Her silence and the scowl of frustration on her face was enough of an answer for the Empress.

“Oh don’t be so sour, I’ve brought something with me.”

Edelgard can feel the gaze of Lysithea sharpening as she places the previously unnoticed bundle upon the table. Preservative wrapping was pulled away to show two simple pastries. One for each of them.

“I made them myself, earlier today. I had an inkling that you would be staying up again.”

Lysithea’s eyes widened, and she leaned forward slightly to observe them. They were far from the most delicious looking that she had ever seen, but the meaning behind them went beyond that. Her cheeks colored as she realized what this meant.

“I can see you’re interested, then.”

Edelgard’s tone seemed smug, as if this was exactly the reaction that she had expected, but Lysithea couldn’t bring herself to care.

“They look delightful! You said you made them yourself?”

Her cheeks colored as she realized what this meant. Lysithea had seen first hand that being empress was time consuming, and she knew just how meaningful it was for Edelgard to spend the increasingly rare time she had to herself on creating something specifically for her.

“Of course. Are you going to try one or are you going to simply stare at me?”

Lysithea huffed, tearing her gaze away from the taller girl and snatching one of the treats before leaning back and slowly, reverently taking a bite. It was… good, slightly lacking in sugar, but that didn’t stop the smile that spread across her face. It was the sentiment that mattered.

“It’s not the best I’ve ever had-” The words are teasing, lighthearted. “But it tastes that much better knowing that it was made by your hands.”

The empress chuckles, taking the remaining pastry for herself and taking an indulgent bite. It’s difficult to see under the candlelight, but her cheeks are a dusted pink.  
“I had hoped you would enjoy them. They took far more effort than I had expected.”

Which was to say, she had burned and botched the first two attempts. She wouldn’t admit that she had almost been late to a meeting after finally being successful in creating an edible result on the third try.

“Thank you… I know how busy you can be, it means a lot that you made these for me.”

The prodigy was unable to meet the empress’s eyes, feeling inexplicably shy in a way she hadn’t before around the elegant woman before her. Her gaze finally rose as she felt a calloused hand take hold of her own free hand.

“It’s my treat, Lysithea. So long as you continue to uphold your promise to fight for your life, I shall support you. You have my word.”

Lysithea floundered for a moment, surprised by the gesture and the words behind them. The blood rushing to her cheeks visible even by the dim lighting.

“I… I don’t know what to say to that.”

She bit the inside of her cheek, feeling unfamiliarly bashful. The pastry in her other hand all but forgotten until Edelgard’s hand retracted and took another bite of her own. Lysithea quickly followed, finishing off hers hastily. It was an easy way to avoid eye contact.

A comfortable silence reigned over the room, and Lysithea finally mustered the courage to look at Edelgard once more. Her face flushed anew upon finding the other staring at her, seemingly lost in thought.

"I really should be turning in for the night.”

The words were muttered, and she rose to her feet slowly. The headstrong girl had new thoughts fluttering through her head, and the research before her had long since been forgotten - most likely Edelgard’s goal in the first place. She was surprised to feel a strong hand grabbing her wrist, preventing her from fleeing as she had planned.

“We will find a way, Lysithea. I will not win a war for you to die before you can see the change you desire.”

Lysithea faltered, hesitating only for a moment before pulling Edelgard out of her seat and into her arms. Lips were pressed against Edelgard’s cheek, shocking the empress.

“I won’t give up, there’s a future by your side that I would like to see fulfilled.”

The younger girl is gone within moments, leaving Edelgard only with the scattered books in front of her, footsteps in the hall, and the lingering sensation on her cheek to remind her that she had even been there. A small smile graces her lips.

“A future with you by my side… That is something I can look forward to.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With her body expiring rapidly due to her crests, Lysithea is desperately searching for a cure to her condition. Edelgard disrupts her life-saving research once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was struck with inspiration at 3 in the morning- fitting considering that's around the time these meetings take place. I couldn't bare to let this go unwritten and be lost to me overnight. This story had initially been intended to be a standalone, and I hadn't expected a second chapter. I suppose I'm giving two gifts instead of one.

A page turned.

The war had been done. The Church was in ruins, Rhea was dead, and Byleth - her dearest professor - had a heartbeat for the first time in their life. And wasn’t that curious? Perhaps if she would survive she would have researched the fact.

Oddly enough, Lysithea found that she didn’t care for any of it. At some point, her priorities had changed. Without the war, her sights could be set upon the true enemy that she wanted to go after. Those Who Slither In The Dark. It was a shame she wouldn’t be able to see them eradicated.

Another page turned, her eyes absorbing the words in front of her, but her mind elsewhere. How was she supposed to focus when she could feel her body straining - not just to stay awake, but to fuel the rampant power that had been implanted within her? The very power that seemed to be eating away at her very being?

She was running out of time. 

“Lysithea.”

Bleary eyes rose from the book to meet the owner of the harsh voice, blinking several in an attempt to get them to refocus. It was the shock of white hair presented by candlelight that told her the identity of the woman before her.

“Edelgard.”

Her voice was tired, raspy. She hadn’t been taking care of herself very well, and it had been several hours since she had last spoken or even had a drink of water. Lysithea nodded politely in greeting. If she wasn’t so worn down, she may have felt nostalgia. It had been quite some time since one of these visits.

“You’re not looking well.”

Lysithea had to restrain herself from snorting. Even without much lighting, it was easy to tell just how poorly she was taking care of herself. Her fair skin especially pale, dark bags under her eyes, and frizzy, unkempt hair gave her away.

“Of course not. I already wasn’t by the time you forced me to step off the battlefield.”

And what a painful decision that had been to hear. Unable to fight against the ones who had done this to her for fear of accelerating her condition. Her scowl was pointedly directed at the library table, not Edelgard. She knew it had been done for her own good. That didn’t mean she liked it.

“We couldn’t risk it. The chance of your crests activating and sending you to your death bed were too great.”

Lysithea’s pale, tired eyes rose to meet those of the empress in front of her.

“I know, but that doesn’t mean I hate it any less. Are you here for a reason?”

Her words were short. Snippy. Long gone were the wistful looks shared between them, even if the feelings remained. It was difficult to focus on such a thing when the pain of knowing you wouldn’t live long enough to fulfill your promise was so stifling. They would have no future together. They had been whispered words without a care for the fact that she may face her demise so soon.

“I am, in fact. I’ve brought a gift.”

Edelgard’s footsteps seemed to penetrate her thoughts once more, bringing her attention back to the shorter of the two.

“I really do apologize, but if you’ve brought me pastries, I don’t have the time to indulge with you this time. I have research to do. You should know this.”

So what if she was taking her frustration out upon her? She had mere weeks to live at this rate, and every second not looking for a way to remove her crests was a second wasted. Her temper seemed to be as short as her time left on Fódlan, lately, and she couldn’t bring herself to care.

“I believe that you would like to take the time to indulge in what I’ve brought.”

The sound of a heavy thud upon the desk heralded the reveal of Edelgard’s gift.

Several ancient, heavy books. Bound with worn leather and faded writing, they were clearly from generations long past. They seemed almost to be styled as journals, and Lysithea grabbed the first off the stack impatiently, opening the book and deftly flicking through the pages.

“This appears… to be some kind of experimental log. Some of the writing is too faded to be legible, but it seems quite detailed… where did you find this?”

Her gaze flickered upwards, meeting Edelgard’s lilac eyes. She didn’t fail to notice the look of what seemed to be restrained excitement on her gaze.

“It was found within the storage room of the latest stronghold that we raided.”

So it was from Those Who Slither in the Dark, then? She felt simultaneously excited and disgusted. These were probably the results of terrible experiments. But there was most likely knowledge contained within that she had never-

“Ahem.”

Her train of thought was derailed by the sound of the woman in front of her clearing her throat, and orchid pink hues met lilac eyes once more. Lysithea rose from her seat, all but launching herself at the empress for a hug. The book lay forgotten upon the desk once more.

“Thank you. If I can find any clues about removing my crests--”

For the second time, Edelgard interrupted her, this time seeming more than amused. Lysithea scrambled away, her cheeks heating into a fiery red. On her pale skin, the color easily visible despite the flickering light of the candle. Her mouth opened to apologize, but for the third time that night, Edelgard spoke instead.

“You haven’t even checked the bookmarked section, yet.”

Lysithea blinked, glancing back down at the journal that she had discarded in her desperate attempt to show gratitude. Surely enough, a royal red bookmark peeked out from the top of the experimental journal. Shaky hands reached for the book, opening directly to the bookmarked section. The words were faded, and difficult to see. She shifted to get closer to the candle. Her eyes widened and a gasp escaped her lips at what she saw.

‘Crest Removal Experiment - Successful’

Lysithea froze.

“I read through it myself, and there is no documentation of any negative side effects despite extensive observat-”

For the first time that night, it was Edelgard who was interrupted. Desperate, passionate, and more than a little needy. Her mind was sluggish to acknowledge the lips that seemed insistent on making sure she would never forget them pressed against her own. It only took her a second to begin to return it, and then several more before Lysithea pulled away, suddenly looking like a startled deer, her face a darker red than ever before.

“You find it… You found a way to save me- to save us.”

The words were whispered, filled with awe and more than a tinge of disbelief. Edelgard simply nodded, her own cheeks had not gone unscathed from the kiss, and she sported a pleasant blush.

“We should be able to go through with the procedure within the week.”

The words of confirmation were enough to make Lysithea’s knees weak, and she had to resist the childish urge to pinch herself to ensure that she wasn’t dreaming. A small chuckle escaped her lips, soon evolving into giddy giggles.

“I’m going to live…”

The sheer relief that flooded her voice prompted Edelgard to step forward, and she drew the girl into a soft, reassuring embrace. The giggles quieted, fading into the quiet crying of a girl who suddenly had a future where before there was nothing.

“I believe I was promised a future with you by my side. I did not plan to allow you to get away with breaking it.”

For the second time that night, the pair’s lips met. This kiss was much more tender, full of repressed feelings and shared relief.

“I think… I think I love you.”

The words were said thoughtlessly, an earnest confession of feelings that had been stewing within her for longer than she would care to admit. Words that Edelgard had longed to hear for far too long. Mutual pining with the only barrier keeping them apart torn down, finally coming to fruition.

“I love you too, my dear.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to follow me on twitter at @EddiesWritings !

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to follow me on twitter at @EddiesWritings !


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